Last for use in forming and leveling soles



' J. C. BOYD l LAST FOR USE 1N FORMING AND LEVELING soLEs Filed Nov. 22. 1920 [NVE/V701? JOHN 50 YD. www ATTORNEYS Patentes Aeg. 21, 192s.

i tra YJOHN OQBOYD, or srjLoUIs, MISSOURI.

-5. Y `Lesa* FOR USE 1N romaine Ann LEVELING sOLns.

Application filed November 22, 1920. Serial No. 425,632.

To all who/m, t muy concern:

Be it known that I, Jol-INC. Born, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State. of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in I iasts for Use in Forming and Leveling Soles, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to the art of shoe making and has for its general Object, an

1 Acalled a last or foot has the partly finished shoe applied. thereto and an'upper member containing a male or leveling form, having a shape complemental to that of the last or foot. is brought down uponl the sole of the shoe under very great pressure. These machines not only shape and level the sole but` the,v tacks and threads used in securing the outer sole to the upper and inner soleI are supposed to be embedded therebyinto the inner sole so as `tofmake the upper surface of the latterpractically smooth and free from projections. The last i or foot on which the partly completed shoetis placed forthe purpose of the above operation, is supposed to have a substantially flat upper surface.. I haveV found in practice, however, that the last or foot of this machine will, on its upper side, frequently be higher along a longitudinal central line than at the sides or marginal portion thereof, so that when the male or leveling form is brought down upon the sole, the latter will be depressed at the center more than is necessary, and less pressure than is necessary to force the projecting ends of tacks, and the threads, into the inner sole will be exerted at the marginal` portion of the latter.

It is the purpose, therefore, of my invention to insure that the marginal portion of the sole shall always receive the maximum of the pressure exerted by the male or leveling form, and to this end my invention consists in providing a flat marginal portion eX- tending entirely around the upper surface of the .foot or last and in forming a depression in the remaining portion ofsuch upper surface, said depression starting at the inner confines of the marginal portion and eX- tending to the longitudinal center of the last, where it may have a depth of onethirty-second of an inch more or less. Thus when the pressure is exerted by the leveling form on the sole of the shoe inserted on the last, 'the `maximum of the pressure exerted will be borne by the flat marginal portion, the portion of the solesurrounded, so to speak, by this marginal portion yielding under pressure, as it is forced into the slight depression referred to.. By so proceeding, I secure certainty in the finish of the shoe as regards the embedding of the points of tacks, and of the securing thread-s in the inner sole, and by thus insuring a smooth interior, greatly add to the comfort of the -wearer while maintaining uniformity as respects this characteristic of the` shoe. The

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uniformity of interior finish in the respects noted is especially important in its application to ladies shoes, and it is for use in shaping and formingthe soles of such shoes that my invention is particularly designed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, illustrating a ladys shoe on a foot or last with an upper male or leveling form shown in compressing position thereon, the lower portion only of the leveling form being shown, and the means for operating the same being omitted;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the foot or last, illustrating the flat marginal portion and the central longitudinal depression extending inward from the marginal portion, on the upper or tread surface of the last.

Referring now to the drawing, Figure l indicates a standard preferably formed integral with which is a last or foot 2 of the desired size and configuration of the style of shoe to be operated upon. As shown by Figure 3, the upper surface of this last is provided with a flat marginal portion 3 extending entirely around the last and with a central depressed portion 4c which starts at the inner confine of the flat portion 3 and extends t'o the longitudinal center of the last, the depth of the depression being substantially one-thirty-second of an inch. Owing to the shallowness of the depression, there is no sharp edge caused to exist along the inner margin of the flat portion 3 but if desired, this partof the surface of thelast may be filed off or otherwise rounded or smoothed. rlhe numeral 5 indicates the male or levelin form and the numeral 6, the shoe, the sole of which is to be leveled and shaped.

As will more clearly appear from Figure 2 of thedrawingi, when the leveling form4 5 is brought domi" with great pressure upon the sole 7, the marginal portion 'of the inner sole 8 corresponding to the'flat marginal poi;- tion 3 will be forced dow Ward against this flat marginal porti ,oir and theproj ecting ends of any nails or tacks, and any protruding threads or knots will;` be` firmly embedded Y the said inner sole so that the marginal portion. thereof will be relatiw'ely smooth and fr ee from projections of any character.

Eory the sake` of clearness in illustration, thebottom of the. depression 4 in Figure 2, is shoivn as considerably removed fromI the under.` side ofthe inner sole 8. Y In practice, however, the depressioninithe surface of the last is so slight that the depression would actually be filled up and the requisite pressure appliedto thecentral: portion ofthe sole in gimingthenecessary shape thereto. The opera-tionof shapingandf leveling thezsole is Well understood to thoseA skilled in the art and inthefpracticeof my invention no different operation is followed from that: heretofore practiced, the/only difference. being in construction, and consisting in. t-he f provision ofv a depression in tlieupper snrfaceofthe last surrounded b a flat` marginal portion, to insure of an a equate pressure being eX- ertedeon thecorresponding.marginal portion ofl'theinnersole. i h e hiletheinvention is not limitedito exact dimensions or.' proportions, I-ind that a flat marginali portion onehalf inch in Width and acentral depression off a maximum depthof 'OneLthirty-second offan inch, willaisually ansWer` allthc purposes of the invention, irrespective of the length or Widthl ofthe last:

L claimzi 1. last fon usel inv levelingand shaping shoulder.` f

the soles of shoes, having ai tread provided with aV shallow depression yextending' longi tudinally of the last substantially from end t0` endl thereof, andV affordinga smooth fiat marginal porti'on entirely surrounding said depression, the sur-face of the depression and the surface ofsaid marginal portion merging into each otherin a manner to provide a substantially continuous tread surface free from an appreciable'line` or areal demarking the conjunction of`thetsurfacesf Y Y 2. A last for use in leveling.v and shaping thesolesofi shoes, having-itsfouten surfac-eor tread. provided With/a: flat marginal portion andiv a shallow depression. extending longitudinally, of' the last from end to` end thereof and surrounded by said flat portion, thewallofivhich depression. being gradually inclined downwardly in; all directions; front the inner lroundany of', said marginal portion, theientire Working surface offsaid treadabeing smooth and devoid of an abrupt; edge or 3a A last; foruse-in leveling and shaping thesoles o'f'shoes, havingla fiat marginal: por.- tio1i-on-` the outeron tread surffacerofthe last surrounding -a depressionf extending-longituv dinallyfoff'the lastf substantially. from endf to end thereof, the.- rippen-confines offsaiddepressionk merging into .they innerboundary; of said:marginal:- portion` avt-,such i an angle; asi-to prevent thek formation ofan abrupt sharp edgeon ridge, vand .saidlepression being` sufici'entlyr shallow# to ,permitrthe entire surf-ace of the tread to. beY effective in-` leveling;- and shaping ythe sole.

Iritestimonywhereof; I- have/hereunto set my handf JOHN; C. BOYDi 

